The winds of autumn blow again: NJ trends cooler this week

It has been an active weather morning across New Jersey so far, with a cold front driving spotty showers and thunderstorms through New Jersey. By mid to late morning, we will completely dry out and skies will start to clear. And then the rest of Monday will turn windy and cooler, with temperatures settling in the lower 60s this afternoon - a far cry from Sunday's widespread 70s. While Tuesday looks like a nice mid-October day, another dip in temperatures is coming for the second half of this week, adding an extra autumn chill to the air. There are no major storm systems on the horizon for New Jersey - just a few hit or miss showers Tuesday night and again perhaps next weekend.

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Monday NJ weather: Wet then windy

Monday is a cold front day, as we bid farewell to warm 70s and say hello to cooler, more seasonable air.

It has been a damp morning so far, as spotty showers and thunderstorms have been driving across New Jersey since about Midnight. The initial line of rain had some teeth. But since then, rainfall has been generally light and spotty.

So it is a damp start to the day. But beyond about 9 a.m., the day looks drier and brighter. Expect partly sunny skies from Monday midday through the afternoon.

The other big story for Monday will be wind, regularly gusting to 30+ mph. That "whoosh" of cooler air will definitely be noticeable — garbage cans will be toppled, and be sure to hold on to your hat.

Temperatures have fallen into the 50s Monday morning and should recover to the lower 60s in the afternoon. I can not call that the "high" temperature for the day as it was close to 70 degrees already in the early morning hours.

Monday night, skies will clear completely, the wind will calm, and temperatures will end up back on the chilly side. Look for lows in the mid 40s. Not a widespread frost or freeze, but definitely back to jacket weather.

Tuesday NJ weather: Nice day, showers at night

Tuesday's forecast reads like a pleasant October day. Mostly sunny and dry, with a light breeze and highs in the seasonable mid 60s. Good stuff.

There is a chance of rain, as another weak cold front approaches. But that should hold off until Tuesday evening (after 8 p.m. or so).

Wednesday NJ weather: Temperatures take another step down

Wednesday will be sunny, but breezy. (Not as windy as Monday though.) And temperatures will end up about 5 degrees below seasonal normals. Look for highs limited to the lower 60s. Not awful, just relatively cool.

Thursday NJ weather: Quiet and cool

Under a mix of sun and clouds, Thursday highs will only reach about 60 degrees. Again, calm and cool.

Temperatures will continue to trend downward as the weekend approaches. While Friday looks like a bright sunny day, highs only reach the upper 50s. That qualifies as "November-ish" in my book. (Although to be fair, November is less than two weeks away at this point.)

The early look at the last weekend of October is OK. Clouds will fill in Saturday, although model guidance shows a dry day for now. High temperatures will hold steady in that upper 50s to around 60 degree range. Sunday gets stuck in the 50s with clouds and possible showers. We will see how the timing and intensity of that next storm system plays out — I do not think we have a good handle on that part of the outlook just yet.

Dan Zarrow is Chief Meteorologist for Townsquare Media New Jersey. Follow him on Facebook for the latest forecast and realtime weather updates.